Keno in the United States traces back to a “Chinese lottery” game brought to the United States by Chinese immigrants in the 1800s. The “Chinese lottery” game utilized a board and a set of up to 120 characters instead of numbers. Early versions of American Keno used characters on Keno tickets rather than the numbers used today. The American Keno game reduced the number of characters to the more familiar eighty.
When gambling was legalized in the state of Nevada in 1931, the “Chinese lottery” game was instead referred to as Horse Race Keno, reflecting the idea that the numbers are horses and the players want their wagered-on horses to come in. Later, the name was shortened to simply Keno, although the game is still often referred to as Horse Race Keno.
Keno is similar to a lottery game. The goal in Keno, like in a lottery, is for a player to choose winning numbers from a plurality of numbers. In most standard versions of paper or video based Keno, a player receives a card with eighty squares numbered one to eighty and arranged in rows of ten. The player can wager on any number or numbers up to a designated quantity of numbers, such as ten numbers. The player chooses numbers on which the player desires to wager by marking those numbers on a Keno card (such as in a paper version of Keno) or by selecting the numbers on a keno display (such as in a video version of Keno). A clerk or the processor of the video display records the player's wager(s). The player pays for each number played or wagered on.
In one known paper version, the Keno numbers also appear on eighty ping pong type balls that can be tossed about in a clear plastic sphere or spun around in a wire bird cage. Keno numbers were at one time drawn from such apparatuses using a manually powered Keno goose. In one known video version, a computer generates the Keno numbers using a random number generator. After a number is chosen, that number is shown electronically on Keno boards throughout the casino or on the video display. An award is provided to the player based on a quantity of matches between the player selected number(s) and the game generated number(s).
Many casinos offer “multi-race” cards, which allow the player to play the same set of numbers over multiple games. One type of “multi” game allows the player to wager on a single set of numbers over as many as twenty games. When finished, the player must return to the Keno station and cash in any wins. “Stray and play” tickets are also available, and allow the player to play a version of Keno called “walk away Keno.” Here, players can purchase a Keno ticket for an extended number of games, enjoy other activities in the casino, and return at a later time or even a later date to have the tickets checked by a computer for winning games.
Another option for Keno players is a combination or “way” ticket. A combination ticket enables the player to group different numbers, wherein each group has the same amount numbers, creating more than one way to win. For example, a 3×3×3, nine spot ticket allows the player, to select a combination of three groups of three numbers. The player can, for example, mark a first group of three numbers with the letter “A,” mark a second group with the letter “B,” and mark a third group the letter “C.” This ticket enables the player to win on any winning combination of three numbers for any of the three groups. Hitting any winning combination pays as though a single ticket had been played. Essentially, the player plays three games on one card. In some Keno games, playing three numbers in three games enables the player to play, or provides to the player, an additional nine spot game.
The ‘way’ ticket supposedly makes Keno more exciting, enabling players to wager more money on more numbers. In reality, playing a way or combination ticket offers no mathematical advantage, and no disadvantage, to the player. Some casinos offer discounted minimum wagers with ‘way’ tickets. If the player plays three or more ways, many casinos will discount the price per ‘way’ (e.g., let the player wager $0.50 per wager instead of a usual $1 minimum). However, the casino only pays back on the player's actual wager.
Certain variations of Keno have expected returns that are relatively constant regardless of how many numbers the player plays. That is, it does not mathematically matter how many numbers the player chooses or if the player combines wagers. The player can choose fewer numbers if the player likes to win a smaller amount but a little more often. The player can choose more numbers if the player does not care about the frequency of the wins but wants bigger payouts. In other versions, the expected value fluctuates based on how many numbers the player plays.
Keno is a popular game that has been embodied in various types of gaming devices. A need exists to provide variations of Keno to make the play of Keno more enjoyable, fun, and exciting for players. In particular, there is a need to increase the fun and excitement associated with selecting the player's numbers and/or the game generated numbers.